Department for Transport

Ferries: Northern Ireland

lord eames: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the sufficiency of the frequency of sailings of ferry services between Northern Ireland and the UK mainland; and how often such services are reviewed in consultation with the Confederation of British Industry in Northern Ireland and other relevant bodies.

baroness sugg: Ferry services between Northern Ireland and Great Britain are provided commercially by the relevant ferry operators. We would expect those operators to respond to market demand engaging as appropriate with relevant stakeholders and bodies.

Leader of the House of Lords

Brexit

viscount waverley: To ask the Leader of the House how much time she proposes that the House will allocate to the debate of the final draft of the Brexit agreement.

baroness evans of bowes park: Business in the House of Lords is arranged through consultation with the Usual Channels. For its part, the Government will ensure that sufficient time is offered to consider the final deal in Parliament, including in the House of Lords.

Insolvency

lord hunt of chesterton: To ask the Leader of the House what plans she has to propose a debate in the House of Lords on their consultation onInsolvency and Corporate Governance, announced on 20 March.

baroness evans of bowes park: My Noble Friend the Chief Whip has no immediate plans to schedule such a debate but I have made him aware of this question. It is of course open to the Noble Lord to use the established routes to seek a backbench debate.

Statutory Instruments: Parliamentary Scrutiny

lord forsyth of drumlean: To ask the Leader of the House whether statutory instruments before the House for approval following consideration in Grand Committee are debatable; whether there is any time limit on such debates; and what steps she intends to take to inform Ministers of the position.

baroness evans of bowes park: Approval motions for affirmative instruments - whether they have previously been considered in a Grand Committee or not - are debatable and not normally time-limited.Standing Order 28 sets out that debate on such motions, as with all other motions, must be relevant to the question before the House.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Financial Reporting Council

baroness bowles of berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Henley on 1 February (HL5095), for which periods, from 2004, the word “required” was used in the factsheet accompanying notices requesting payment by the Financial Reporting Council; and when, and for what reason, the wording was changed to “requests”.

lord henley: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 20 February 2018.The correct answer should have been:

Fact sheets for the preparers levy were used from 2009/10 when the preparers levy was extended to cover large private companies and public sector organisations. The fact sheets used the word “required” in explaining the rates applied to different categories of preparers. They also included similar wording to that included in the 2018/19 fact sheet which was placed in the Library of the House in attached to the response given to question HL5095. This makes clear that the Financial Reporting Council collects the levy from all preparers on a voluntary basis. The word “required” was replaced with the word “requested” to improve clarity in 2018/19.

lord henley: Fact sheets for the preparers levy were used from 2009/10 when the preparers levy was extended to cover large private companies and public sector organisations. The fact sheets used the word “required” in explaining the rates applied to different categories of preparers. They also included similar wording to that included in the 2018/19 fact sheet which was placed in the Library of the House in attached to the response given to question HL5095. This makes clear that the Financial Reporting Council collects the levy from all preparers on a voluntary basis. The word “required” was replaced with the word “requested” to improve clarity in 2018/19.

Liquefied Natural Gas: Imports

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much liquefied natural gas has been imported into the UK since 1 January; and from which countries.

lord henley: The Department’s Energy Trends Table 4.4 includes an extensive monthly breakdown of all gas imports, including liquefied natural gas, by country of origin. Due to the large amount of data in Table 4.4, I have included a copy of it as an attachment:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/682882/ET_4.4.xlsThe latest data in Energy Trends is for two months prior to the publication month, and the publication on 29th March will include new data for January 2018.



Supplementary info on origin of UK gas imports
(Excel SpreadSheet, 1.09 MB)

Sharing Economy

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures they are taking to improve workers’ rights for the self-employed and workersin the gig economy.

lord henley: In the Government Response to the Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices we committed to firm action and future legislation to enhance employment rights for those working in the gig economy, agency workers and those who work atypically. We are currently consulting on how best to achieve this change.The Government Response also sets out a package of measures to better support the self-employed, including improved support on embarking on a self-employed career, encouraging pension savings and supporting people to pay the right tax.Alongside this, from 6 April 2016, we have given self-employed people the ability to build their entitlement to the new State Pension at the same rate as employed people.

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

baroness featherstone: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether there is a loophole for electricity generating units of 3MWTh (MW thermal) under the EU Emissions Trading System.

lord henley: The government does not believe the 3MW (thermal) threshold constitutes a loophole. The current inclusion criteria of the EU ETS offer a good balance between environmental integrity of the System and avoiding disproportionate administrative burden for operators and administrators.

Electricity: Prices

baroness featherstone: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the decision to replace net demand with gross demand in calculating Capacity Market charges for suppliers.

lord henley: The decision to change the basis for calculating the Capacity Market Supplier Charge from being based on net demand to being based on gross demand was published on 22 March 2017 in the Government’s response following its consultation on various proposed amendments to Rules and Regulations that govern the Capacity Market. An assessment of the impact of the change from net to gross was contained in an Analytical Annex to the Government Response.[1] [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/capacity-market-proposals-to-simplify-and-improve-accessibility-in-future-capacity-auctions



Capacity Market Consultation response
(PDF Document, 140.3 KB)




Capacity Market Analytical annex
(PDF Document, 120.9 KB)

Electricity: Storage

baroness featherstone: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to classify grid-scale storage as electricity generation.

lord henley: In our Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan, published last July, the Government committed to define electricity storage as a distinct subset of generation in primary legislation, when parliamentary time allows. This will improve regulatory clarity for electricity storage – in particular, its treatment for licensing and planning purposes.The regulator is also taking steps in line with this commitment. In October last year, Ofgem launched a consultation on proposals to modify the generation licence to include electricity storage. A response to this consultation will be published in due course.

Electricity: Storage

baroness featherstone: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the electricity market of system operators and network owners owning and operating electricity storage.

lord henley: In the Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan, published last July, the Government and Ofgem said that measures should be taken to limit the ownership and operation of electricity storage by distribution network operators. This is to prevent competitive activities being carried out by monopoly network operators, which would inhibit fair competition in the market. Ofgem subsequently consulted on limiting the ownership and operation of storage by distribution network operators in October last year, and we expect Ofgem to finalise their position in the coming months.

Regional Electricity Companies

baroness featherstone: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to set a deadline for distribution network operators to transition to distribution system operators.

lord henley: In our Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan, published with Ofgem last July, we set out our expectation that distribution network operators (DNOs) would transition to being distribution system operators (DSOs). This involves more active management of networks, ensuring they compete network requirements (so flexible technologies like storage are deployed where they are more cost effective than network reinforcement), and greater coordination between the transmission and distribution system operators to improve efficiency. The Energy Networks Association published a report in December 2017 outlining progress to date and a roadmap for future work. The Government welcomes in particular the commitment from the network companies to open up network requirements to competition, and notes that some DNOs are already doing this. As different parts of the network face different levels of congestion, other DNOs are expected to follow suit as and when they need to overcome network constraints.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Iraq: Minority Groups

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of recent criminal and terrorist acts targeting members of minority communities in Iraq; and what discussions they have had with the government of Iraq about the protection of Yezidi, Christians, Shabak, Sabean Mandaeans, and other minorities.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We are aware of credible reports of human rights abuses and violations perpetrated against minority communities in Iraq. The UK condemns all such acts.We regularly raise the protection needs of minorities with the Government of Iraq and Kurdistan Regional Government regularly. We have made clear, through our Embassy in Baghdad and our Consulate General in Erbil, the importance of protecting civilians and of Iraq meeting its human rights responsibilities, including ensuring the rule of law. We welcome the commitments of Iraqi Prime Minister Abadi to investigate all allegations of human rights abuses and violations, including those committed against minorities, and to hold those responsible to account, including those committed against minorities. We will continue to make clear that we expect the Government of Iraq to act on that commitment.On 2 and 3 March, I (the Minister for The Commonwealth and UN, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon) met the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), Nechirvan Barzani and raised the importance of tolerance and protecting and safeguarding the rights of Christians, Yezidis and other minority groups. The Prime Minister also emphasised this message with Iraqi Prime Minister Abadi during her visit in November.

Iraq: Minority Groups

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq about practical steps that can be taken to (1) support and protect Iraq’s minority communities, (2) ensure the return home of members of minority communities persecuted by Daesh, and (3) encourage Iraq’s government, religious, political and civic leaders to prioritise the protection of minority communities.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 27 March 2018.The correct answer should have been:

The UK's Ambassador to Iraq works closely with the UN Special Representative of the Secretary General to support the Government of Iraq's efforts to stabilise the country and protect all communities. Through our Embassy in Baghdad and Consulate-General in Erbil, alongside UN officials and our other international partners, we consistently urge the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government to ensure the safe, voluntary and unhindered return of all Internally Displaced Persons, including minorities, supported by the prospect of genuine community reconciliation. We recognise that security is one of the main concerns facing not just minorities but many other displaced Iraqis wanting to return home. Ultimately, restoring security in liberated areas and creating an environment that is safe for everyone is the responsibility of the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government.We are also working with the UN and other international partners to support the Iraqi Government in its efforts to stablilise areas which have been liberated from Daesh.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK's Ambassador to Iraq works closely with the UN Special Representative of the Secretary General to support the Government of Iraq's efforts to stabilise the country and protect all communities. Through our Embassy in Baghdad and Consulate-General in Erbil, alongside UN officials and our other international partners, we consistently urge the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government to ensure the safe, voluntary and unhindered return of all Internally Displaced Persons, including minorities, supported by the prospect of genuine community reconciliation. We recognise that security is one of the main concerns facing not just minorities but many other displaced Iraqis wanting to return home. Ultimately, restoring security in liberated areas and creating an environment that is safe for everyone is the responsibility of the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government.We are also working with the UN and other international partners to support the Iraqi Government in its efforts to stablilise areas which have been liberated from Daesh.

Pakistan: Religion

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Pakistan about the recent ruling that all Pakistani citizens must declare their religion when applying for identity documents or government jobs.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Whilst we have not raised the specific issue of the ruling by the High Court in Islamabad on 9 March about inclusion of religion on ID cards. However, we remain deeply concerned about restrictions on freedom of religion or belief in Pakistan. It is vital that Pakistan upholds and protects the rights of all its citizens, regardless of their faith, gender or ethnicity. As such we have called for specific action from Pakistan on establishing all inclusive electoral registers without religious bias, during the UPR process on Pakistan at the HRC.We also regularly raise the issues of freedom of religion and belief, and the protection of minority Muslim and non-Muslim religious communities, with the government at a senior level.We continue to urge Pakistan to take the steps necessary to comply in full with its human rights obligations, including engaging with the UN and other international bodies, and to ensure that the rights of minorities are respected.

USA: Asia

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they support theUnited Statesadministration’svision of a free and open Indo-Pacific; and what assessment they have made of the risks and benefits of such a policy.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK has held discussions with the US on their Indo-Pacific strategy. The Prime Minister also discussed Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific strategy during her visit to Japan in November 2017.The UK welcomes the US commitment to a transparent, rules-based international system and support for free and open access to the oceans in accordance with international law. The government also believes there is significant scope for improving regional connectivity, specifically through greater infrastructure investment. The UK will continue to engage as these initiatives develop further to maximise the benefits for the region and the UK.

Jerusalem: Religious Buildings

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel to protect the status quo at the holy sites in Jerusalem.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We recognise that Jerusalem holds huge religious significance for Jews, Muslims and Christians. We have made representations to all parties, including Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Jordan, reiterating the fundamental necessity of maintaining the status quo at the Holy Sites, including at Temple Mount/Haram al Sharif.

Russia: Crimea

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to make representations to the government of Russia regarding reasonable local automony for ethnic and cultural groups in the Crimea, including respect for their traditional institutions, culture and heritage; and whether they will enquire as to any proposals for restoring the previous level of economic activity in the region.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Four years since Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea, the human rights situation on the peninsula continues to worsen and access is denied to international human rights organisations. The British Government regularly highlights Russia's illegal annexation, publicly and multilaterally, raising concerns about human rights abuses committed by the de-facto Russian authorities. This includes abuses against the Crimean Tatars. The Foreign Secretary met with representatives of the Crimean Tatars in London on 14 March.

South Africa: Property Rights

lord northbrook: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the motion passed in the Parliament of South Africa on 1 March to confiscate land without compensation from white farmers.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We welcome the South African Government's assurance that 'the process of land distribution would be orderly, within South African laws and taking into consideration both the social and economic impact.' We further welcome President Ramaphosa's commitment that land reform will be carried out 'without negatively affecting economic growth, agricultural production and food security' and his assurance that he would 'not allow any smash and grab interventions'.

Gaza: Ports

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 7 March (HL5727), what progress has been made on easing movement and access into and out of Gaza, particularly through EU assistance in establishing a sea-link from Gaza to another international port, currently envisaged in Cyprus.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are not aware of progress towards establishing a sea-link from Gaza to another international port. The UK continues to call on the Governments of Israel and Egypt to ease movement and access restrictions into and out of Gaza. Most recently British officials encouraged an easing of restrictions and improvement in the humanitarian situation in Gaza at the Ad-Hoc Liaison Committee on 20 March.

Golan Heights: Elections

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minster of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, on 5 March (HC130079), whether they will now make an assessment of the implications of Israel’s plans to hold local elections in the Golan Heights.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have not made an assessment of the Israel’s plans to hold local elections in the Golan Heights. The UK considers the Golan Heights to be Occupied Territory and we call on Israel as the occupying power to uphold its obligations under international law.

Gibraltar: Spain

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is theirestimate of the number of incursions by Spanish state vessels into the British waters around Gibraltar in the last 12 months.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: There were 602 incursions by Spanish State vessels into British Gibraltar Territorial Waters from 1 March 2017 to 28 February 2018.Incursions are a violation of sovereignty, not a threat to it. They do not weaken or undermine the legal basis in international law for British sovereignty over Gibraltar, including British Gibraltar Territorial Waters. The Royal Navy continues to challenge all incursions into British Gibraltar Territorial Waters. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office backs this up politically by making formal diplomatic protests to the Spanish government.

British Overseas Territories

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to assess the views and concerns of all theUK Overseas Territories regarding the UK’s departure from the EU.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The British Government is fully committed to involving all the UK Overseas Territories in our planning as we leave the EU, and ensuring that their interests are properly taken into account. UK Ministers and leaders of the Overseas Territories discuss EU Exit in the UK Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council on EU Exit Negotiations, which will meet for the fourth time on 14 June this year. The British Government has also considered and responded to the evidence presented by Overseas Territories' representatives to the European Union Select Committee on the impact of EU Exit in July of last year.

British Overseas Territories

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what economic and logistical plans they are making to assist the UK Overseas Territories following the UK’s departure from the EU.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK and Overseas Territory governments share a responsibility to the British citizens living in those territories to help enable them to lead secure, stable and more prosperous lives. We are fully committed to involving the Overseas Territories as we prepare for exiting the EU and establishing new trading relations with the world, in order to ensure their priorities and interests are taken into account. UK Ministers and leaders of the Overseas Territories discuss EU Exit in the UK – Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council on EU Exit Negotiations, which will meet for the fourth time on June 14th this year. These discussions will continue to include consideration of ways of assisting the Overseas Territories in analysing potential trade and economic impacts, as a consequence of EU exit. The UK Government will also consider options through which UK Overseas Territories could benefit from future UK Free Trade Agreements with Third Countries.

Attorney General

Crown Prosecution Service

lord stoddart of swindon: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) men, and (2) women, are employed by the Crown Prosecution Service; and how many (a) men, and (b) women, hold senior posts.

lord keen of elie: As at 28 February 2018 the Crown Prosecution Service employed (1) 2,083 men and (2) 3,987 women. In senior posts (graded at Senior Civil Service or equivalent) the Crown Prosecution Service employed (a) 34 men and (b) 40 women, with women making up 54% of the workforce in these grades.

Department for Education

Higher Education: Qualifications

lord smith of clifton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total number of domiciled students in England in (1) 2015–16, and (2) 2016–17, aged (a) 18 to 24, and (b) 25 and over, who were taking (i) full-time foundation degrees, (ii) part-time foundation degrees, (iii) full-time Higher National Certificate (HNC) and Higher National Diploma (HND) courses, and (iv) part-time HNC and HND courses; and of those, how many were studying at further education colleges.

viscount younger of leckie: The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has prepared information on students domiciled in England enrolled on foundation degrees, higher national diplomas, or higher national certificates. The figures cover HEFCE-funded higher education institutions and further education colleges in England, as well as enrolments at alternative providers in England. Figures for the academic years 2015/16 and 2016/17 have been provided in the attached table. Figures for 2016/17 are provisional, and all figures are valid as of 16 March 2018.



Students_domiciled_in_England_enrolled_FD/HNC/HND
(Excel SpreadSheet, 17.59 KB)

Academies

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance is provided to Multi-Academy Trusts on the appointment of members.

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the appointment and resignation of members of Multi-Academy Trusts are referred to Companies House; and if not, why not.

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance is provided to Multi-Academy Trusts on the publication of minutes of meetings of members and trustees.

lord agnew of oulton: The department does not provide specific guidance on the recruitment of members, but as members are responsible for the appointment of trustees, it is important that they understand the skills, behaviours and knowledge that trustees need to deliver effective governance.Guidance sets out that members may be appointed by special resolution by existing members or the foundation or sponsor of the multi-academy trust (MAT).The guidance is attached and available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/governance-handbook.The articles of association of each individual trust set out the specific arrangements for the appointment of members to each trust.Companies House specify their own requirements for MATs, as companies limited by guarantee, with regard to appointments and resignations. It is for individual MATs to ensure they follow these requirements.There is no requirement for MATs to publish the minutes of meetings of members and trustees. However, the department’s Model Articles of Association state that the trust board must, as soon as is reasonably practicable, make available for inspection by any interested person, copies of the agenda, signed minutes of every such meeting and any report or other paper considered at such meeting. 



Governance Handbook
(PDF Document, 1.62 MB)

The Senior Deputy Speaker

Legislatures

lord jopling: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker,  further to theWritten Answersby Lord McFall of Alcluith on 5 February (HL5378) and on 6 March (HL5733) and by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 5 February (HL5379), how the number of Peers would be adjusted if their positions as full members of UK parliamentary delegations reflected the total cost represented by Peers of (1) 50.58per cent for the Council of Europe, (2) 35.01per cent for the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, and (3) 14.41per cent for the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.

lord mcfall of alcluith: Further to my Written Answers on 5 February (HL5378) and on 6 March (HL5733) and the Written Answer from Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 5 February (HL5379), the percentage of the total cost in each case represented by members of the House of Lords is dependent on the overall number of Peers on the delegations concerned, and other factors, notably the amount of time spent on their work as members of the delegations. Allocation of places on the delegations is a matter for the political parties and it would be up to them to decide what account to take of these costs in allocating places on the delegations.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Housing: Students

baroness byford: To ask Her Majesty's Government what rules govern council taxes and business rates on (1) blocks of flats for university students, (2) houses in multiple occupation let to university students, and (3) other dwellings let to university students.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Any property occupied for domestic purposes will be valued for council tax. Decisions on valuations are a matter for the Valuation Office Agency (VOA).Halls of residence which comprise solely of living accommodation or other services used only by residents will be valued for council tax, rather than business rates. Houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) are also subject to council tax, as are dwellings let to university students.

Help to Buy Scheme

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of Help to Buy loans have been repaid before the end of the five year interest free period.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: This data is not currently published due to commercial sensitivity.

Fire Prevention

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they willpublish the advice they have provided to public bodies, local authorities and housing associations following the fire and safety test failure of the type of fire door used at Grenfell Tower.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Independent experts have advised that the risk to public safety is low, and that evidence from the test and investigation to date does not change this assessment. The Fire safety advice, which remains unchanged, is that:Smoke alarms save lives but only if they’re working and in the right place. Ensure you have at least one on every level of your home and test them regularly – monthly is best.Keep fire doors shut to help prevent the spread of fire and smoke.Understand and follow the fire safety advice for your building. If in doubt, discuss with the landlord or building owner.Following independent expert advice, the Government is acting at pace to carry out further investigations to establish the full circumstances.

Grenfell Tower: Fire Regulations

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to undertake further tests to determine whether the type of fire doors installed at Grenfell Tower in 2013 conformed to the appropriate fire standard.

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Kensington and Chelsea Council regarding (1) whether the type of fire doors installed at Grenfell Tower in 2013 were fire and safety tested prior to installation, (2) whether the contract for the supply of the fire doors was subjected to competitive tender, (3) who undertook the installation of the fire doors, (4) what checks were undertaken following installation to ensure that the doors were fit for purpose, (5) which fire door options were considered for installation, and (6) on what basis the decision to install those particular fire doors was made.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government is carrying out investigations, including testing in relation to public and product safety. This work is being taken forward at pace. The Independent Inquiry into Grenfell, led by Sir Martin Moore-Bick, is examining the circumstances leading up to and surrounding the fire at Grenfell and a criminal investigation is being led by the Metropolitan Police into the fire at Grenfell Tower. Both these must be allowed to complete and establish the facts behind the fire.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Mental Health Services

lord browne of belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve mental health support for (1) veterans, and (2) serving military personnel.

earl howe: The Ministry of Defence is absolutely committed to the mental health of our Service personnel, providing robust training, welfare support and development opportunities. When necessary, we ensure that both serving personnel and veterans are given the mental healthcare and treatment they need. We do this by working in close partnership with a variety of different organisations, including the NHS (which is responsible for the provision of healthcare, including mental healthcare, for veterans) and Service charities such as Combat Stress.Recent initiatives include the Defence People Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, launched in July 2017, which covers all Defence people and identifies the need for strong partnerships with the Department of Health, the NHS in England and the Devolved Administrations and the charitable sector, and a new operating model focusing on Promote, Prevent, Treat and Detect.In October 2017, we announced a new partnership with the Royal Foundation, aimed at helping maintain and develop good mental fitness. And on 25 February this year, the Secretary of State for Defence announced that we have built on our existing partnership with Combat Stress to provide a new MOD-funded Military Mental Health Helpline for Serving personnel and their families, providing out-of-hours advice and assistance and running in conjunction with the charity's existing helpline for the veterans' community. We will also be providing an additional £2million of annual funding for military mental health services, on top of the £20million a year we already spend.Mental health services are already provided for serving personnel through a network of 20 permanent locations, comprising 11 Departments of Community Mental Health (DCMHs); six Mental Health Teams (MHTs); and three locations with a permanent Community Mental Health Nurse. These support the provision of healthcare that is available through Service primary care facilities. In-patient care is provided in dedicated psychiatric units through a central contract MOD has with a partnership of eight NHS Trusts.Personnel leaving the Armed Forces who have had mental health issues during their Service are eligible to access services at a local DCMH for up to six months after discharge, to help them during the transition period. A Veterans' Transition Protocol ensures any Service person discharged with a diagnosed mental health disorder is handed over appropriately to the NHS in England.Where a Service person leaving the Armed Forces has an enduring need for mental healthcare, we work in partnership with NHS England through the Veterans Mental Health Transition, Intervention and Liaison Service (VMH-TILS), to ensure continuity of care. The VMH-TILS service provides a range of treatment and support for veterans, as well as Armed Forces personnel approaching discharge. It will arrange for veterans to be referred if necessary to the NHS England Veterans' Mental Health Complex Treatment Service (VMH-CTS) which launches on 1 April 2018.Other services available from MOD to veterans include the Veterans and Reserves Mental Health Programme (VRMHP), for veterans that have served since 1982 and Reservists with operational service overseas since 2003 (provided through the DCMHs), and the Veterans UK and Veterans Welfare Service.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Livestock Industry: Licensing

baroness byford: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Gardiner of Kimble on 20 February (HL5471), how the remaining 20 per cent proposed charge for permit variation that does not relate to staff or IT costs is made up.

lord gardiner of kimble: The remaining costs are made up of a wide variety of expenditure which includes property costs, finance, HR, shared services (transactional processing), procurement, administration, insurance, transport and plant, utilities, and travel. The Environment Agency’s consultation response document will provide more information on the make-up of charges. This is due to be published in March.

Fisheries: Northern Ireland

lord eames: To ask Her Majesty's Government what conversations they have had with the government of the Republic of Ireland on the rights of Northern Ireland-based fishermen after Brexit.

lord gardiner of kimble: We place great value on our close relationship with Ireland and our shared values in relation to fisheries matters, including our strong commitment to sustainable fishing. The Government is engaging regularly with Ireland on these matters. The Fisheries Minister discussed the Voisinage agreement with Michael Creed, the Irish Fisheries Minister, last year. We will be working to secure the best deal in the negotiations for the whole of the UK fishing industry.

Environment Protection: EU Law

baroness young of old scone: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, and if so when, they will publish a list of the statutory instruments that will be laid subsequent to the passing of the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill, in order to complete the transfer of EU law covering environmental issues; and which of those statutory instruments will be laid under (1) the negative procedure, and (2) the affirmative procedure.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government is still making detailed assessment of what corrections will be required to make that law function appropriately on exit day. Our current assumption is that we will require 26 SIs to be laid in order to complete the transfer of EU law covering environmental issues, 12 of which will require the affirmative procedure.We are currently not in a position to publish the list of these SIs as it is subject to change. In particular, the SIs rely on powers and procedures set out in the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill which is still being considered by Parliament. There will, however, be consultation where appropriate on the detail of the proposed changes.

Home Office

Deportation

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they took into accountthe visa humanitarian exemption in the case of Ernesto Schwartz-Marin and his wife Arely Cruz-Santiago who have been ordered to leave the country after exceeding the time permitted to be abroad by undertaking humanitarian work in Mexico; and if not, why not.

baroness williams of trafford: The applications submitted for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) by Mr Ernesto Schwartz-Marin, for himself, his wife and child have been reconsidered. In light of the information provided about his work in Mexico these have now been approved.

Asylum: Sri Lanka

lord naseby: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Sri Lankan nationals have sought asylum in each year since 1 January 2007; and how many were successful.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office publishes data on the number of applications and initial decisions, broken down by nationality, in the quarterly Immigration Statistics publication. The latest figures, up until 2017, are available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2017Table as_01 (asylum tables, vol. 1) contains the number of asylum applications, from main applicants, and initial decisions each year, broken down by nationality.Data in table as_01 relate to initial decisions only. The number of ‘successful’ applications will increase when taking into account those granted after appeal. Table as_06 shows the number of decisions in a given year that have led to an appeal, by appeal outcome. Data in this table are not directly comparable over time as more recent years will have a high number of cases where a final decision has not yet been made.YearCountry of nationality Total  applications  Total initial decisions  Total grants  Percentage granted 2007Sri Lanka98893612413%2008Sri Lanka1,47387420624%2009Sri Lanka1,1151,25119015%2010Sri Lanka1,3571,61222814%2011Sri Lanka1,7561,60432320%2012Sri Lanka1,7441,38433324%2013Sri Lanka1,8111,28726220%2014Sri Lanka1,2921,21715713%2015Sri Lanka9611,53717912%2016Sri Lanka845731446%2017Sri Lanka687649498%Grants include grants of asylum, discretionary leave, humanitarian protection, and grants under family and private life rules.2. Decisions made in a given year does not necessarily relate to the number of applications in the same year. Applications are based on the date of application and decisions are based on the date of initial decision.

Slavery: Children

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether all positive reasonable grounds decisions made under the National Referral Mechanism for children result in the recording of a crime of modern slavery.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office has amended the crime counting rules in respect of modern slavery offences so that when a positive reasonable grounds referral is received from an NRM competent authority the relevant police force to whom the referral is made must record a crime of modern slavery.This applies to both adults and children referred into the NRM.

Slavery: Children

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many crimes of modern slavery involving children have been recorded since the Modern Slavery Act 2015 came into force.

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government which police forces have recorded crimes of modern slavery involving children since the Modern Slavery Act 2015 came into force.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office and regional police forces do collect information on how many modern slavery crimes are recorded. The information does not distinguish between adult and child victims.The NCA publishes statistics on referrals into the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) on a quarterly basis. This includes a breakdown of child referrals by nationality and exploitation type.For more information:http://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/publications/national-referral-mechanism-statistics

Slavery

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatare the inspection process and sanctions if a public authority fails to comply with section 52 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

baroness williams of trafford: There is no formal inspection process relating to section 52 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (MSA). The Home Office works closely with a range of partners to increase awareness of public authorities’ responsibilities under the MSA and as part of the National Referral Mechanism reforms announced by Home Office Ministers in October 2017 we will be reviewing the role of first responders.

Slavery: Children

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many children have requested re-consideration of a negative National Referral Mechanism decision in the past three years.

baroness williams of trafford: The National Crime Agency publishes statistics on referrals into the National Referral Mechanism on a quarterly basis. These statistics include referrals for children.These reports are available via the following links:http://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/publications/national-referral-mechanism-statistics https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2017-uk-annual-report-on-modern-slaveryThe specific information you have requested is not currently published. 



UK Annual Report on Modern Slavery - 2017
(PDF Document, 711.69 KB)

Runaway Children

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number of children being re-trafficked after going missing from local authority care.

baroness williams of trafford: Local authorities are required to report data on all children missing from care or away from placement without authorisation regardless of their immigration or trafficking status.The National Crime Agency is working with the relevant police leads to ensure the consistent recording of figures on the number of children reported missing to them who were trafficked or unaccompanied.Working alongside our NGO partners, we have trained thousands of foster carers, so that they are more aware of the specific needs of children who have been trafficked. The Department for Education has recently commissioned 1,000 training places for foster carers and support workers of unaccompanied children to help them support children and prevent them from being re-trafficked.

Police: Firearms

lord harris of haringey: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the review into the legal position of police firearms officers will be concluded; and whether they intend to publish the findings of that review.

baroness williams of trafford: I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave to Lord Hogan-Howe on the 12th March 2018, UIN HL5908.

Visas: Skilled Workers

lord ahmed: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have issued any policy guidance to help immigration caseworkers assess the character and conduct of highly-skilled migrants applying for visas to work in the UK.

lord ahmed: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to put in place processes enabling action to be taken against those whose immigration applications have been refused on the grounds of deception.

baroness williams of trafford: Guidance on character and conduct issued to caseworkers and visa officers considering applications from highly skilled migrants wishing to work in the UK is published on Gov.uk.For those in the UK whose applications have been refused on the grounds of deception, processes are already in place to enable removal action to be taken against them.

Undocumented Migrants: Northern Ireland

lord browne of belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people have been apprehended when illegally entering the UK via Northern Ireland's land border with the Republic of Ireland during the last twelve months, broken down by month.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office does not hold the information requested.

Lauren Southern

lord pearson of rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government why Lauren Southern was detained under the Terrorism Act 2000 in Calais in March; and why she has been denied entry to the UK.

baroness williams of trafford: It is longstanding policy not to disclose details of records which may be held in relation to individuals’ arrival in the United Kingdom, as to do so would not be in the interests of national security.Schedule 7 helps maintain public safety by allowing an examining officer to stop and question and, when necessary, detain and search individuals travelling through ports, airports, international rail stations or the border area to determine whether an individual appears to be someone who is or has been involved in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.The decision to examine an individual using Schedule 7 is an operational one, undertaken independently by the police. You will understand that the Home Office cannot comment or provide any more specific information about why Ms Southern was stopped and examined.

Department for Exiting the European Union

UK Relations with EU: Security

lord stoddart of swindon: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 20 February (HL5442) concerning the future security partnership with the EU, whether they intend to consult Parliament on those proposals; and whether Parliament will be asked to give final approval.

lord callanan: The Government set out the UK’s approach to the future security partnership in the Foreign Policy, Defence and Development paper of September 2017. The Prime Minister further expanded on this most recently in her Munich speech on 17th February. The Government has committed to hold a vote on the final deal in Parliament as soon as possible after the negotiations have concluded. This vote will cover both the Withdrawal Agreement and the terms of our future relationship.

Brexit

lord stoddart of swindon: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the likelihood of finalising a UK–EU Brexit agreement by October 2018; and if such an agreement were reached, whether the date of withdrawal will be brought forward.

lord callanan: We have made rapid progress on the Withdrawal Agreement from the EU, agreeing the majority of the legal text including all of the chapters on the implementation period, citizens’ rights and the financial settlement­. We will carry this momentum forward as we work to agree the remaining areas and conclude the Withdrawal Agreement by October 2018, before we leave the EU at the end of March 2019.